The Silver Falcons’ aerobatic team executed a spectacular display at the Union Buildings on Saturday for Jacob Zuma’s second presidential inauguration. Flying in formation, 19 Silver Falcons created the number 20 in the skies above Pretoria to commemorate the 20th anniversary of South Africa’s democracy.
During the late former president Nelson Mandela’s inauguration on the 10th of May 1994, Beau Skarder was a teenager sitting on the roof of his parents’ home and watching the massed formation of the Silver Falcons. 20 years later, Skarder is the leader of the Silver Falcons.
Three of the national carrier’s aircraft will fly in close formation over the thousands of people that are expected to attend the event.
The first formation in the flypast comprised helicopters, a BK117, an Agusta A109, an Oryx, and a Rooivalk from various squadrons and bases around the country, flying at about 150 kilometres an hour. The BK117, Agusta and Oryx have multiple roles, including humanitarian support, and are very robust, making them perfectly suited for operations in the harsh African environment. The Rooivalk, being the country’s combat-support helicopter, has numerous capabilities. White-painted aircraft are used in peace-keeping and peace-enforcement missions with the United Nations.
SAA acting-Chief Pilot, Captain Sandy Bayne entertained the crowd when she flew an Airbus A340-600 low over the Nelson Mandela Amphitheatre. Bayne had earlier told SAFM current affairs anchor, Dhashen Moodley, that there was little room for error.
Before the flypast display, 21-gun salute was rendered in honour of President Jacob Zuma. The 21-gun salute is the highest honour that a nation renders and is reserved for the President, visiting Heads of State, the national flag and full state funerals. The cartridge that is used is blank and harmless and makes a loud noise, spewing out flames and white smoke.
The 21-gun salute is naval in origin. In the past, ships were armed with gunpowder-loaded cannons. Before a ship entered a harbour, it would fire the gunpowder to show that it was making its guns harmless. The gun battery ashore would respond in the same way. This custom later evolved to honour Heads of States and other important people and events (such as state funerals).
Earlier in the morning, the late former president, Nelson Mandela’s imbongi , Zolani Mkiva, praised Zuma. Mkiva was born into a poor Xhosa family at Idutywa in the Eastern Cape. He came to fame when he acted as the imbongi at the late former president Nelson Mandela’s inauguration at the Union Buildings on the 10th of May 1994.
Mkiva also performed in the 1990s when the late ANC leader, Walter Sisulu, received the freedom of Johannesburg in the 1990s. At a festival in Zimbabwe in 1995, Mkiva was proclaimed “King of African Poetry”.
In December 2013, Mkiva made headlines when reports surfaced that he was planning to sue the National Transitional Council of Libya for over R39-million for a CD and music videos that the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had apparently commissioned.
Click below for video of the fly-overs at the Union buildings.
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